Similarities Seen in Electronics Store Robberies

COSTA MESA — Three gunmen who robbed an electronics store Thursday might be the same suspects who ransacked a similar store in Santa Ana last week, police said.

The three men entered the Radio Shack in the 2000 block of Newport Boulevard around 11 a.m. One man was carrying a shotgun, Costa Mesa Police Lt. John FitzPatrick said.

The gunmen ordered the two store employees to lie face down and bound their hands behind their backs with duct tape, FitzPatrick said.

One robber locked an employee in the storage room, while the other two raided the store for cellular phones and stereo equipment, police said. They also took the employees’ wallets and jewelry.

The invasion last about five minutes, FitzPatrick said.

“We don’t have a total loss at this time,” he said. “At least no one was harmed.”

Police described the robbers’ car as a silver Toyota, possibly a Corolla, with damage to the driver’s door.

All three robbers were African American and in their 20s. The man with the shotgun was wearing a corduroy trench coat. One other gunman masked his face with a blue bandana and wore a blue hooded sweat shirt. There is no description of the third man, police said.

FitzPatrick said the three men resemble the descriptions of those seen at a Santa Ana robbery that occurred last week. Santa Ana police said they are investigating the robberies.

“This possibly could be a pattern,” FitzPatrick said. “We’re telling employees of these types of stores to beware of such suspects.”